A Democratic presidential candidate has only won the White House twice without Ohio.

The Director of the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, John Green says some of the most recent simulators confirm Ohio's importance.

"Ohio is a very diverse state. It's essentially a microcosm of the county, so what you find in the country as a whole, you find within the borders of Ohio," Green said.

For example, the New York Times is usingpoll numbersto come up with thousands of daily electoral college probabilities. According to their research, the candidate who won Ohio, won the election roughly 38,000 out of 40,000 times.

"You know the best indication that Ohio is critical? Both President Obama and Governor Romney are practically living in this state," Green said.